Hi all – coming at you today with a short and sweet post about Bloodsworn! Without further lollygagging, let’s talk about this book!
I liked Ashlords quite a bit, but didn’t love it. Bloodsworn matured a lot in both plot, world building, and character development, and I don’t hesitate to recommend the duology to YA fantasy fans at all.
Plus – omg the cover artwork, right?
Bookish Quick Facts:
- Title: Bloodsworn
- Series: Ashlords #2
- Author: Scott Reintgen
- Publisher & Release: Crown Books for Young Readers, February 2021
- Length: 400 pages
- Rate & Recommend: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Here’s the synopsis via Am*zon:
Three cultures clash in all out war–against each other and against the gods–in the second book of this fantasy duology that’s sure to capture fans of The Hunger Games and An Ember in the Ashes.
The Races are over. War has begun.
Ashlord and Longhand armies battle for control of the Empire as Dividian rebels do their best to survive the crossfire. This is no longer a game. It’s life or death.
Adrian, Pippa, and Imelda each came out of the Races with questions about their role in the ongoing feud. The deeper they dig, the clearer it is that the hatred between their peoples has an origin point: the gods.
Their secrets are long-buried, but one disgruntled deity is ready to unveil the truth. Every whisper leads back to the underworld. What are the gods hiding there? As the sands of the Empire shift, these heroes will do everything they can to aim their people at the true enemy. But is it already too late?
All the characters from book one – Imelda, Pippa, Adrian, plus Quinn and now the gods, are back in a big way in Bloodsworn.
I loved meeting the gods! Each had an interesting domain, abilities, “hobbies”. Seeing the other realm was cool too and I liked how Reintgen broadened the scope so much without letting the plot get away from him.
The lore was well done and I never saw the big plot twists coming at all. Kind of hard to talk without spoiling but when the four characters (races) discover their history and team up against the gods…
…I loved the teamwork. Overcoming racial differences and doing what is RIGHT, vs just continuing what past generations did, is a great theme for teens and this ties massively into the character growth shown here in book two.
Pippa and Adrian and Imelda might be sons and daughters of political leaders but they really step up and find their own future now.
Reintgen upped the emotional states a bit too with a few well placed side character deaths – I actually like when YA authors do this because war is not pleasant, nor should it be described as such. I think he captured a lot of wartime atmosphere and ethical concerns well
It was cool to see the new phoenix rebirths and learn some of the ancient alchemy practices too. I wish Reintgen had packed in more horsie related Phoenix things and alchemy related trick riding, but I have no real gripes about this book.
The end was a little corny but it packed a lot of emotional appeal. Each of the three main characters obtained major victories and resolution. I was happy with how much each character came into their own and found some happiness going forward.
Spoiler free ** regarding the “corny” ending – I have learned with YA books that I’m going to eye roll at a lot of endings, and I don’t dock for it anymore. Teens eat this stuff up and because the language and broader content of the book is appropriate for the age group, I dropped 5 stars with no hesitation
Highly recommend for YA fantasy fans. If you are even vaguely interested after book one, keep reading!
** Quick note on the audio – the crew is back. Rebecca Soler, Andrew Eiden, Lauren Foftgang are back and deliver a decent narration. I think Eiden stepped into the Aiden character a little better than he did in book one and overall I enjoyed listening. About 10 hours, 41 minutes from Listening Library!
OneReadingNurse.com 